According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a dynamic photodiode may include a substrate, a first doped region, a second doped region, a first resettable doped region between the first doped region and the second doped region, and a first light absorbing region between the first doped region and the second doped region. The first doped region may include a first contact that receives a first voltage. The second doped region may include a second contact that receives a second voltage. The first resettable doped region may include a first resettable contact that receives a reset voltage or is set as an open circuit. The first light absorbing region may generate first electron-hole pairs in the substrate when the first resettable contact is set as an open circuit, and the first electron-hole pairs may be removed from the substrate when the first resettable contact receives the reset voltage.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A dynamic photodiode comprising: a substrate; a first doped region disposed on the substrate, the first doped region including a first contact configured to receive a first voltage; a second doped region disposed on the substrate, the second doped region including a second contact configured to receive a second voltage; a first resettable doped region disposed on the substrate between the first doped region and the second doped region, the first resettable doped region including a first resettable contact configured to receive a reset voltage or be set as an open circuit; and a first light absorbing region disposed on the substrate between the first doped region and the second doped region, the first light absorbing region configured to generate first electron-hole pairs in the substrate, wherein first electron-hole pairs are generated in the substrate when the first resettable contact is set as an open circuit, and the first electron-hole pairs are removed from the substrate when the first resettable contact receives the reset voltage; wherein the first doped region is an n+ doped region, the second doped region is a p+ doped region, and the first resettable region is an n+ doped region.
2. The dynamic photodiode of claim 1 , wherein the reset voltage is a positive voltage value.
3. The dynamic photodiode of claim 2 , wherein the positive voltage value is greater than or equal to 1 volt, but less than or equal to 3.3 volts.
4. The dynamic photodiode of claim 1 , further comprising a third doped region disposed on the substrate, the third doped region including a third contact that is grounded.
5. A dynamic photodiode comprising: a substrate; a first doped region disposed on the substrate, the first doped region including a first contact configured to receive a first voltage; a second doped region disposed on the substrate, the second doped region including a second contact configured to receive a second voltage; a first resettable doped region disposed on the substrate between the first doped region and the second doped region, the first resettable doped region including a first resettable contact configured to receive a reset voltage or be set as an open circuit; a fourth doped region disposed on the substrate, the fourth doped region including a fourth contact configured to receive the first voltage; and a first light absorbing region disposed on the substrate between the first doped region and the second doped region, the first light absorbing region configured to generate first electron-hole pairs in the substrate, wherein first electron-hole pairs are generated in the substrate when the first resettable contact is set as an open circuit, and the first electron-hole pairs are removed from the substrate when the first resettable contact receives the reset voltage.
6. The dynamic photodiode of claim 5 , further comprising a second resettable doped region disposed on the substrate between the second doped region and the fourth doped region, the second resettable doped region including a second resettable contact configured to receive the reset voltage or be set as an open circuit.
7. The dynamic photodiode of claim 6 , further comprising a second light absorbing region disposed on the substrate between the second doped region and the fourth doped region, the second light absorbing region configured to generate second electron-hole pairs in the substrate, wherein the second electron-hole pairs are generated in the substrate when the second resettable contact is set as an open circuit, and the second electron-hole pairs are removed from the substrate when the second resettable contact receives the reset voltage.
8. The dynamic photodiode of claim 6 , wherein the first doped region, second doped region, first resettable region, second resettable region, and fourth doped region are linear regions arranged parallel to each other.
9. The dynamic photodiode of claim 8 , wherein the first doped region is an n+ doped region, the second doped region is a p+ doped region, the first resettable region is an n+ doped region, the second resettable region is an n+ doped region, and the fourth doped region is an n+doped region.
10. A dynamic photodiode comprising: a substrate; a first doped region disposed on the substrate, the first doped region including a first contact configured to receive a first voltage; a second doped region disposed on the substrate, the second doped region including a second contact configured to receive a second voltage; a first resettable doped region disposed on the substrate between the first doped region and the second doped region, the first resettable doped region including a first resettable contact configured to receive a reset voltage or be set as an open circuit; and a first light absorbing region disposed on the substrate between the first doped region and the second doped region, the first light absorbing region configured to generate first electron-hole pairs in the substrate, wherein first electron-hole pairs are generated in the substrate when the first resettable contact is set as an open circuit, and the first electron-hole pairs are removed from the substrate when the first resettable contact receives the reset voltage; wherein the first doped region surrounds the first resettable doped region.
11. The dynamic photodiode of claim 10 , wherein the first resettable doped region surrounds the second doped region.
12. The dynamic photodiode of claim 4 , wherein the third doped region is a p+ doped region.
13. The dynamic photodiode of claim 4 , wherein the third doped region surrounds the first doped region.
14. The dynamic photodiode of claim 1 further comprising a back contact attached to a first side of the substrate opposite to a second side of the substrate where the first doped region, second doped region, first resettable region, and first resettable doped region are disposed.
15. The dynamic photodiode of claim 14 , wherein the back contact is grounded.
16. The dynamic photodiode of claim 14 , wherein the back contact is etched into the substrate.
17. The dynamic photodiode of claim 14 , wherein a doped layer is arranged between the back contact and the substrate.
18. The dynamic photodiode of claim 17 , wherein the doped layer is p+ doped.
19. The dynamic photodiode of claim 4 , wherein a well is arranged below the third doped region and extends the third contact into the substrate via the third doped region.
20. The dynamic photodiode of claim 19 , wherein the well has the same doping type as the third doped region.
21. A dynamic photodiode comprising: a substrate; a first doped region disposed on the substrate, the first doped region including a first contact configured to receive a first voltage; a second doped region disposed on the substrate, the second doped region including a second contact configured to receive a second voltage; a first resettable doped region disposed on the substrate between the first doped region and the second doped region, the first resettable doped region including a first resettable contact configured to receive a reset voltage or be set as an open circuit; a first light absorbing region disposed on the substrate between the first doped region and the second doped region, the first light absorbing region configured to generate first electron-hole pairs in the substrate; an epi-layer disposed underneath the first doped region, the second doped region, the first resettable doped, and the first light absorbing region, and a buried oxide region disposed underneath the epi-layer, the buried oxide region contacting the substrate, wherein first electron-hole pairs are generated in the substrate when the first resettable contact is set as an open circuit, and the first electron-hole pairs are removed from the substrate when the first resettable contact receives the reset voltage.
22. The dynamic photodiode of claim 1 , further comprising: an epi-layer disposed underneath the first doped region, the second doped region, the first resettable doped, and the first light absorbing region, and an epitaxial layer disposed underneath the epi-layer, the epitaxial layer contacting the substrate.
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March 17, 2017
April 23, 2019
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